Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered
Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection,
Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Geography - note:
first country in the world to incorporate the protection of the
environment into its constitution; some 14% of the land is
protected, including virtually the entire Namib Desert coastal strip
People
Namibia
Population:
2,088,669
note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the
effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower
life expectancy, higher infant mortality, higher death rates, lower
population growth rates, and changes in the distribution of
population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July
2008 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 36.7% (male 386,252/female 379,426)
15-64 years: 59.5% (male 627,752/female 615,241)
65 years and over: 3.8% (male 35,960/female 44,038) (2008 est.)
Median age:
total: 20.7 years
male: 20.6 years
female: 20.8 years (2008 est.)
Population growth rate:
0.947% (2008 est.)
Birth rate:
23.19 births/1,000 population (2008 est.)
Death rate:
14.07 deaths/1,000 population (2008 est.)
Net migration rate:
0.35 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.82 male(s)/female
total population: 1.01 male(s)/female (2008 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 45.64 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 49.24 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 41.93 deaths/1,000 live births (2008 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 49.89 years
male: 50.39 years
female: 49.38 years (2008 est.)
Total fertility rate:
2.81 children born/woman (2008 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
21.3% (2003 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
210,000 (2001 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
16,000 (2003 est.)
Major infectious diseases:
degree of risk: high
food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and
typhoid fever
vectorborne disease: malaria
water contact disease: schistosomiasis (2008)
Nationality:
noun: Namibian(s)
adjective: Namibian
Ethnic groups:
black 87.5%, white 6%, mixed 6.5%
note: about 50% of the population belong to the Ovambo tribe and 9%
to the Kavangos tribe; other ethnic groups include Herero 7%, Damara
7%, Nama 5%, Caprivian 4%, Bushmen 3%, Baster 2%, Tswana 0.5%
Religions:
Christian 80% to 90% (Lutheran 50% at least), indigenous beliefs 10%
to 20%
Languages:
English 7% (official), Afrikaans common language of most of the
population and about 60% of the white population, German 32%,
indigenous languages 1% (includes Oshivambo, Herero, Nama)
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 85%
male: 86.8%
female: 83.5% (2001 census)
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):
total: 11 years
male: 11 years
female: 11 years (2006)
Education expenditures:
6.9% of GDP (2003)
Government
Namibia
Country name:
conventional long form: Republic of Namibia
conventional short form: Namibia
local long form: Republic of Namibia
local short form: Namibia
former: German Southwest Africa, South-West Africa
Government type:
republic
Capital:
name: Windhoek
geographic coordinates: 22 34 S, 17 05 E
time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
Standard Time)
daylight saving time: +1hr, begins first Sunday in September; ends
first Sunday in April
Administrative divisions:
13 regions; Caprivi, Erongo, Hardap, Karas, Khomas, Kunene,
Ohangwena, Okavango, Omaheke, Omusati, Oshana, Oshikoto, Otjozondjupa
Independence:
21 March 1990 (from South African mandate)
National holiday:
Independence Day, 21 March (1990)
Constitution:
ratified 9 February 1990, effective 12 March 1990
Legal system:
based on Roman-Dutch law and 1990 constitution; has not accepted
compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: President Hifikepunye POHAMBA (since 21 March 2005)
head of government: Prime Minister Nahas ANGULA (since 21 March 2005)
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president from among the members
of the National Assembly
elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term
(eligible for a second term); election last held 15 November 2004
(next to be held in November 2009)
election results: Hifikepunye POHAMBA elected president; percent of
vote - Hifikepunye POHAMBA 76.4%, Den ULENGA 7.3%, Katuutire KAURA
5.1%, Kuaima RIRUAKO 4.2%, Justus GAROEB 3.8%, other 3.2%
Legislative branch:
bicameral legislature consists of the National Council (26 seats;
two members are chosen from each regional council to serve six-year
terms) and the National Assembly (72 seats; members are elected by
popular vote to serve five-year terms)
elections: National Council - elections for regional councils to
determine members of the National Council held 29-30 November 2004
(next to be held in November 2010); National Assembly - last held
15-16 November 2004 (next to be held in November 2009)
election results: National Council - percent of vote by party -
SWAPO 89.7%, UDF 4.7%, NUDO 2.8%, DTA 1.9%, other 0.9%; seats by
party - SWAPO 24, UDF 1, DTA 1; National Assembly - percent of vote
by party - SWAPO 76.1%, COD 7.3%, DTA 5.1%, NUDO 4.2%, UDF 3.6%, RP
1.9%, MAG 0.8%, other 1.0%; seats by party - SWAPO 55, COD 5, DTA 4,
NUDO 3, UDF 3, RP 1, MAG 1
note: the National Council is primarily an advisory body
Judicial branch:
Supreme Court (judges appointed by the president on the
recommendation of the Judicial Service Commission)
Political parties and leaders:
Congress of Democrats or COD [Ben ULENGA]; Democratic Turnhalle
Alliance of Namibia or DTA [Katuutire KAURA]; Monitor Action Group
or MAG [Jurie VILJOEN]; National Democratic Movement for Change or
NamDMC; National Unity Democratic Organization or NUDO [Kuaima
RIRUAKO]; Rally for Democracy and Progress or RDP [Hidipo
HAMUTENYA]; Republican Party or RP [Henk MUDGE]; South West Africa
National Union or SWANU [Rihupisa KANDANDO]; South West Africa
People's Organization or SWAPO [Hifikepunye POHAMBA]; United
Democratic Front or UDF [Justus GAROEB]
Political pressure groups and leaders:
Earthlife Namibia [Berthchen KOHRS] (environmentalist group);
National Society for Human Rights or NSHR; The World Information
Services of Energy or WISE (group against nuclear power)
International organization participation:
ACP, AfDB, AU, C, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDA,
IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), IPU,
ISO (correspondent), ITSO, ITU, MIGA, NAM, OPCW, SACU, SADC, UN,
UNAMID, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMIL, UNMIS, UNOCI, UNWTO,
UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Patrick NANDAGO
chancery: 1605 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20009
telephone: [1] (202) 986-0540
FAX: [1] (202) 986-0443
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador G. Dennise MATHIEU
embassy: 14 Lossen Street, Windhoek
mailing address: Private Bag 12029 Ausspannplatz, Windhoek
telephone: [264] (61) 295-8500
FAX: [264] (61) 295-8603
Flag description:
a wide red stripe edged by narrow white stripes divides the flag
diagonally from lower hoist corner to upper fly corner; the upper
hoist-side triangle is blue and charged with a yellow, 12-rayed
sunburst; the lower fly-side triangle is green
Economy
Namibia
Economy - overview:
The economy is heavily dependent on the extraction and processing of
minerals for export. Mining accounts for 8% of GDP, but provides
more than 50% of foreign exchange earnings. Rich alluvial diamond
deposits make Namibia a primary source for gem-quality diamonds.
Namibia is the fourth-largest exporter of nonfuel minerals in
Africa, the world's fifth-largest producer of uranium, and the
producer of large quantities of lead, zinc, tin, silver, and
tungsten. The mining sector employs only about 3% of the population
while about half of the population depends on subsistence
agriculture for its livelihood. Namibia normally imports about 50%
of its cereal requirements; in drought years food shortages are a
major problem in rural areas. A high per capita GDP, relative to the
region, hides one of the world's most unequal income distributions.
The Namibian economy is closely linked to South Africa with the
Namibian dollar pegged one-to-one to the South African rand.
Increased payments from the Southern African Customs Union (SACU)
put Namibia's budget into surplus in 2007 for the first time since
independence, but SACU payments will decline after 2008 as part of a
new revenue sharing formula. Increased fish production and mining of
zinc, copper, uranium, and silver spurred growth in 2003-07, but
growth in recent years was undercut by poor fish catches and high
costs for metal inputs.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
$10.69 billion (2007 est.)
GDP (official exchange rate):
$7.4 billion (2007 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
3.6% (2007 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):
$5,200 (2007 est.)
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 10.6%
industry: 35.4%
services: 53.9% (2007 est.)
Labor force:
660,000 (2007 est.)
Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: 47%
industry: 20%
services: 33% (1999 est.)
Unemployment rate:
5.2% (2007 est.)
Population below poverty line:
the UNDP's 2005 Human Development Report indicated that 34.9% of the
population live on $1 per day and 55.8% live on $2 per day
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 0.5%
highest 10%: 64.5% (2003)
Distribution of family income - Gini index:
70.7 (2003)
Investment (gross fixed):
23.8% of GDP (2007 est.)
Budget:
revenues: $2.765 billion
expenditures: $2.515 billion (2007 est.)
Fiscal year:
1 April - 31 March
Public debt:
22.3% of GDP (2007 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
6.7% (2007 est.)
Central bank discount rate:
10.5% (31 December 2007)
Commercial bank prime lending rate:
12.88% (31 December 2007)
Stock of money:
$2.149 billion (31 December 2007)
Stock of quasi money:
$1.493 billion (31 December 2007)
Stock of domestic credit:
$4.446 billion (31 December 2007)
Agriculture - products:
millet, sorghum, peanuts, grapes; livestock; fish
Industries:
meatpacking, fish processing, dairy products; mining (diamonds,
lead, zinc, tin, silver, tungsten, uranium, copper)
Industrial production growth rate:
9% (2007 est.)
Electricity - production:
1.606 billion kWh (2007 est.)
Electricity - consumption:
3.194 billion kWh (2006 est.)
Electricity - exports:
40 million kWh (2007 est.)
Electricity - imports:
1.948 billion kWh; note - electricity supplied by South Africa (2006
est.)
Electricity - production by source:
NA
Oil - production:
0 bbl/day (2007 est.)
Oil - consumption:
19,840 bbl/day (2006 est.)
Oil - exports:
0 bbl/day (2005)
Oil - imports:
17,750 bbl/day (2005)
Oil - proved reserves:
0 bbl (1 January 2006 est.)
Natural gas - production:
0 cu m (2007 est.)
Natural gas - consumption:
0 cu m (2007 est.)
Natural gas - exports:
0 cu m (2007 est.)
Natural gas - imports:
0 cu m (2007 est.)
Natural gas - proved reserves:
62.29 billion cu m (1 January 2008 est.)
Current account balance:
$805.2 million (2007 est.)
Exports:
$2.919 billion f.o.b. (2007 est.)
Exports - commodities:
diamonds, copper, gold, zinc, lead, uranium; cattle, processed fish,
karakul skins
Exports - partners:
South Africa 33.4%, US 4% (2006)
Imports:
$3.091 billion f.o.b. (2007 est.)
Imports - commodities:
foodstuffs; petroleum products and fuel, machinery and equipment,
chemicals
Imports - partners:
South Africa 85.2%, US (2006)
Economic aid - recipient:
ODA, $123.4 million (2005 est.)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$896 million (31 December 2007 est.)
Debt - external:
$1.003 billion (31 December 2007 est.)
Stock of direct foreign investment - at home:
$NA
Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad:
$NA
Market value of publicly traded shares:
$541.8 million (2006)
Currency (code):
Namibian dollar (NAD); South African rand (ZAR)
Currency code:
NAD; ZAR
Exchange rates:
Namibian dollars (NAD) per US dollar - 7.18 (2007), 6.7649 (2006),
6.3593 (2005), 6.4597 (2004), 7.5648 (2003)
Communications
Namibia
Telephones - main lines in use:
138,100 (2007)
Telephones - mobile cellular:
800,300 (2007)
Telephone system:
general assessment: good system with a combined fixed-line and
mobile-cellular teledensity of about 45 per 100 persons
domestic: core fiber-optic network links most centers and
connections are now digital; Namibia's first mobile-cellular
network, launched in 1994, provides coverage to 86 percent of
Namibia by area
international: country code - 264; fiber-optic cable to South
Africa, microwave radio relay link to Botswana, direct links to
other neighboring countries; connected to the South African Far East
(SAFE) submarine cable through South Africa; satellite earth
stations - 4 Intelsat (2007)
Radio broadcast stations:
AM 2, FM 39, shortwave 4 (2001)
Radios:
232,000 (1997)
Television broadcast stations:
2 (2007)
Televisions:
60,000 (1997)
Internet country code:
.na
Internet hosts:
6,296 (2008)
Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
2 (2000)
Internet users:
101,000 (2007)
Transportation
Namibia
Airports:
137 (2007)
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 21
over 3,047 m: 3
2,438 to 3,047 m: 2
1,524 to 2,437 m: 13
914 to 1,523 m: 3 (2007)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 116
2,438 to 3,047 m: 2
1,524 to 2,437 m: 22
914 to 1,523 m: 72
under 914 m: 20 (2007)
Railways:
total: 2,382 km
narrow gauge: 2,382 km 1.067-m gauge (2006)
Roadways:
total: 42,237 km
paved: 5,406 km
unpaved: 36,831 km (2002)
Merchant marine:
total: 1
by type: cargo 1
registered in other countries: 1 (Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
1) (2008)
Ports and terminals:
Luderitz, Walvis Bay
Military
Namibia
Military branches:
Namibian Defense Force: Army, Navy, Air Wing (2008)
Military service age and obligation:
18-25 years of age for voluntary military service; no conscription
(2008)
Manpower available for military service:
males age 16-49: 527,948 (2008 est.)
Manpower fit for military service:
males age 16-49: 313,497 (2008 est.)
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:
male: 25,525
female: 25,182 (2008 est.)
Military expenditures:
3.7% of GDP (2006)
Transnational Issues
Namibia
Disputes - international:
concerns from international experts and local populations over the
Okavango Delta ecology in Botswana and human displacement scuttled
Namibian plans to construct a hydroelectric dam on Popa Falls along
the Angola-Namibia border; managed dispute with South Africa over
the location of the boundary in the Orange River; Namibia has
supported, and in 2004 Zimbabwe dropped objections to, plans between
Botswana and Zambia to build a bridge over the Zambezi River,
thereby de facto recognizing a short, but not clearly delimited,
Botswana-Zambia boundary in the river
Refugees and internally displaced persons:
refugees (country of origin): 4,700 (Angola) (2007)
This page was last updated on 18 December, 2008
======================================================================
@Nauru
Introduction
Nauru
Background:
The exact origins of the Nauruans are unclear, since their language
does not resemble any other in the Pacific. The island was annexed
by Germany in 1888 and its phosphate deposits began to be mined
early in the 20th century by a German-British consortium. Nauru was
occupied by Australian forces in World War I and subsequently became
a League of Nations mandate. After the Second World War - and a
brutal occupation by Japan - Nauru became a UN trust territory. It
achieved its independence in 1968 and joined the UN in 1999 as the
world's smallest independent republic.
Geography
Nauru
Location:
Oceania, island in the South Pacific Ocean, south of the Marshall
Islands
Geographic coordinates:
0 32 S, 166 55 E
Map references:
Oceania
Area:
total: 21 sq km
land: 21 sq km
water: 0 sq km
Area - comparative:
about 0.1 times the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries:
0 km
Coastline:
30 km
Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 12 nm
contiguous zone: 24 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
Climate:
tropical with a monsoonal pattern; rainy season (November to
February)
Terrain:
sandy beach rises to fertile ring around raised coral reefs with
phosphate plateau in center
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: unnamed location along plateau rim 61 m
Natural resources:
phosphates, fish
Land use:
arable land: 0%
permanent crops: 0%
other: 100% (2005)
Irrigated land:
NA
Natural hazards:
periodic droughts
Environment - current issues:
limited natural fresh water resources, roof storage tanks collect
rainwater, but mostly dependent on a single, aging desalination
plant; intensive phosphate mining during the past 90 years - mainly
by a UK, Australia, and NZ consortium - has left the central 90% of
Nauru a wasteland and threatens limited remaining land resources
Environment - international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto
Protocol, Desertification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine
Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Geography - note:
Nauru is one of the three great phosphate rock islands in the
Pacific Ocean - the others are Banaba (Ocean Island) in Kiribati and
Makatea in French Polynesia; only 53 km south of Equator
People
Nauru
Population:
13,770 (July 2008 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 35.5% (male 2,492/female 2,393)
15-64 years: 62.5% (male 4,237/female 4,363)
65 years and over: 2.1% (male 148/female 137) (2008 est.)
Median age:
total: 21.3 years
male: 20.7 years
female: 21.9 years (2008 est.)
Population growth rate:
1.772% (2008 est.)
Birth rate:
24.26 births/1,000 population (2008 est.)
Death rate:
6.54 deaths/1,000 population (2008 est.)
Net migration rate:
NA (2008 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.97 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 1.08 male(s)/female
total population: 1 male(s)/female (2008 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 9.43 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 11.84 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 6.9 deaths/1,000 live births (2008 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 63.81 years
male: 60.2 years
female: 67.6 years (2008 est.)
Total fertility rate:
2.94 children born/woman (2008 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
NA
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
NA
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
NA
Nationality:
noun: Nauruan(s)
adjective: Nauruan
Ethnic groups:
Nauruan 58%, other Pacific Islander 26%, Chinese 8%, European 8%
Religions:
Nauru Congregational 35.4%, Roman Catholic 33.2%, Nauru Independent
Church 10.4%, other 14.1%, none 4.5%, unspecified 2.4% (2002 census)
Languages:
Nauruan (official; a distinct Pacific Island language), English
widely understood, spoken, and used for most government and
commercial purposes
Literacy:
NA
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):
total: 8 years
male: 8 years
female: 9 years (2006)
Education expenditures:
NA
Government
Nauru
Country name:
conventional long form: Republic of Nauru
conventional short form: Nauru
local long form: Republic of Nauru
local short form: Nauru
former: Pleasant Island
Government type:
republic
Capital:
no official capital; government offices in Yaren District
time difference: UTC+12 (17 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
Standard Time)
Administrative divisions:
14 districts; Aiwo, Anabar, Anetan, Anibare, Baiti, Boe, Buada,
Denigomodu, Ewa, Ijuw, Meneng, Nibok, Uaboe, Yaren
Independence:
31 January 1968 (from the Australia-, NZ-, and UK-administered UN
trusteeship)
National holiday:
Independence Day, 31 January (1968)
Constitution:
29 January 1968; amended 17 May 1968 (Constitution Day)
Legal system:
acts of the Nauru Parliament and British common law; accepts
compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations
Suffrage:
20 years of age; universal and compulsory
Executive branch:
chief of state: President Marcus STEPHEN (since 19 December 2007);
note - the president is both the chief of state and head of
government
head of government: President Marcus STEPHEN (since 19 December
2007); note - President Ludwig SCOTTY defeated in a no confidence
vote in parliament on 19 December 2007
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president from among the members
of Parliament
elections: president elected by Parliament for a three-year term;
election last held 19 December 2007 (next to be held in 2010)
election results: NA
Legislative branch:
unicameral Parliament (18 seats; members elected by popular vote to
serve three-year terms)
elections: last held 26 April 2008 (next to be held in 2011)
election results: percent of vote - NA; seats - independents 18;
note - President Marcus STEPHEN called a snap election to break a
parliamentary stalemate blocking legislative action
Judicial branch:
Supreme Court
Political parties and leaders:
Democratic Party [Kennan ADEANG]; Nauru Party (informal); Nauru
First (Naoero Amo) Party; note - loose multiparty system
Political pressure groups and leaders:
Woman Information and News Agency (women's issues)
International organization participation:
ACP, ADB, C, FAO, ICAO, ICCt, Interpol, IOC, ITU, OPCW, PIF,
Sparteca, SPC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UPU, WHO
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Marlene I. MOSES
chancery: 800 2nd Avenue, Suite 400 D, New York, NY 10017
telephone: [1] (212) 937-0074
FAX: [1] (212) 937-0079
consulate(s): Agana (Guam)
Diplomatic representation from the US:
the US does not have an embassy in Nauru; the US Ambassador to Fiji
is accredited to Nauru
Flag description:
blue with a narrow, horizontal, yellow stripe across the center and
a large white 12-pointed star below the stripe on the hoist side;
the star indicates the country's location in relation to the Equator
(the yellow stripe) and the 12 points symbolize the 12 original
tribes of Nauru
Economy
Nauru
Economy - overview:
Revenues of this tiny island have traditionally come from exports of
phosphates, now significantly depleted. An Australian company in
2005 entered into an agreement intended to exploit remaining
supplies. Few other resources exist with most necessities being
imported, mainly from Australia, its former occupier and later major
source of support. The rehabilitation of mined land and the
replacement of income from phosphates are serious long-term
problems. In anticipation of the exhaustion of Nauru's phosphate
deposits, substantial amounts of phosphate income were invested in
trust funds to help cushion the transition and provide for Nauru's
economic future. As a result of heavy spending from the trust funds,
the government faces virtual bankruptcy. To cut costs the government
has frozen wages and reduced overstaffed public service departments.
In 2005, the deterioration in housing, hospitals, and other capital
plant continued, and the cost to Australia of keeping the government
and economy afloat continued to climb. Few comprehensive statistics
on the Nauru economy exist, with estimates of Nauru's GDP varying
widely.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
$60 million (2005 est.)
GDP (official exchange rate):
$NA
GDP - real growth rate:
NA%
GDP - per capita (PPP):
$5,000 (2005 est.)
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: NA%
industry: NA%
services: NA%
Labor force - by occupation:
note: employed in mining phosphates, public administration,
education, and transportation (1992)
Unemployment rate:
90% (2004 est.)
Population below poverty line:
NA%